


Tales from the Rift

by comavampure



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Crack, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, F/F, F/M, Gen, Insert in Thedas, M/M, Modern Character in Thedas, Multi, One Shot Collection, Original Character(s), Other, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-08 05:39:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7745359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comavampure/pseuds/comavampure
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A dumping ground for all my unfinished scenes and chapter 1s for all MCIT story ideas I ever had. Like seriously there are so many). If any of them are good enough ideas, I may consider making it a separate story. Who knows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Size of Hornets

**Author's Note:**

> My Brain never stops. it NEVER stops. I have too many ideas and not enough time to work on them but sometimes I need to purge them. Enjoy my purge creations. NOTE THIS IS UNFINISHED, UNBETA'D AND LIKELY WITH A LOT OF GRAMMATICAL ERRORS.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arroz means rice in Spanish  
> Mierda means shit in Spanish.
> 
> Lola wakes up in Llomeryn in Thedas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally Done for the MCIT Challenge [here](http://ecarius.tumblr.com/post/148749156115/some-of-my-new-friends-in-the-modern-characters-in) but I never finished so I re-purposed this as a dumping ground for all my unfinished scenes and chapter 1s for all MCIT story ideas I ever had. (Like seriously there are so many).

Hot and humid summers, three things I hated and three things that were when I woke up. The air was so thick you could drink from it with a little pressure.  My sweat pooled in my hands and the sheen of moisture on my forehead had me lifting my shirt up to wipe at it.

I groaned, not wanting to move at all. It didn’t help that my back was straight along the ground which I could never get it to do thanks to the curvature of my spine and my rounded ass and larger frame. I was comfortable, or my back was, laying straight on the firm ground, enjoying the relief.  But there was too much moisture and I needed to either find some ice or cool off or sink into a hot bath of some sort.

There was an occasional breeze that cooled some of the sweat off my brow. The faint trace of the ocean in that breeze, distant but close enough I could smell it and almost feel the water splash across my face.  

Of course these observations were made while I was trying to ignore the fact that I was even here, laying on a ground with no memory of _how_ I got here. Plus it was summer, which made it that much more panic inducing. Back home, in Jersey it was in the middle of fucking _winter_ . And I was here in some sweltering field with heavy cotton trousers and a fuzzy wool shirt and  chanclas   Moving would just generate more heat.

But I had to move because if I didn’t cool off, or start my breathing exercises so I _didn’t_ panic, I was sure to lay there and dehydrate. Except it was hard to move, because I’m a lazy fucker.

It was the sound of buzzing and the prickling sensation of bugs, my gosh so many fucking bugs, that had me scrambling off the ground and slapping my skin to bat them off.

Standing made the heat worse, because of course it did.  My cheeks were burning, my upper chest reddened. I need to cool off so I chucked my pajama shirt off, because i had an undershirt and two sports bras on.  I tied my pajama shirt around my hair to keep it out of my face and protect my head. The sun was high in the sky and I wasn’t stupid. I had spent far too many days being told to protect my head in the summer when I visited the family.  

Of course this exposed my pale skin to the buzzing flies and, oh god look at the size of those fucking mosquitoes!

I ran. Not before grabbing the backpack at my feet, _my_ bookbag and the two brightly colored items beside it which I shoved into the bag post haste and booked it out of there because the mosquitoes were the size of hornets.  Giant hornets.  Like the ones in Japan.  Nope Nope.   _Fuck that_.

I had spent my youth being _devoured_ by mosquitoes.  I still had the scars on my legs from when I scratched and scratched and when they bled I pick-pick-picked at the scabs until my mother doused them in alcohol.  But those were tiny mosquitoes.  Little ones.  These fuckers that I swatted away before running, were HUGE. I did not want to know what getting bit by them would leave behind, or what diseases it might be carrying.

I ran _toward_ the ocean because it got stronger, the scent and sound of water lapping and relaxing me.

I saw the shore, the long stretch of beach and only just remember to kick off my  chanclas  and picking them up before running.  Then I swore because that sand was _hot_ blistering almost and I yelped and swore to nine hells and back until I touched the wet sand, the tide washing over my feet and I sighed.

The buzzing did not follow and I plopped my arse right onto the wet sand, staring out at the ocean before me and then I heard it. It was faint over the swell and crash of the ocean.  I don’t know why I hadn’t heard it before but I supposed I had concentrated on the _buzzing_ and running.  And, here i looked behind me, the distance I had ran, the thumping of my heart and my shrieking has masked the sound.  And there not far, but far enough to make my heart sink and my legs ache at the thought of walking that way, was a city or town built with a large dock and ships that I could see from the coast.

It took me far longer than I care to admit to get up again, put my shoes back on, splashing myself with some of the seawater to cool myself before I headed that way.  

Because whether I was kidnapped and dropped somewhere, civilization was ten times better than wilderness.

It took me too long to walk and I paused too many times, my knees crying and feet aching. It was hard getting a grip because there was no roads and my  chanclas  were not made for this kind of walking, not to mention they were pretty old flip flops too. Still I trudged on.

The town itself was… weird. The buildings were mostly made of sandstone and  some were made of red clay bricks and others, the more run down ones, were wooden made with thatch roofs. The streets were not paved, in fact I saw no road or tar streets or any pavement.

And the people… they were odd. A few looked my way, but most of them were dirt covered and wearing worn simple clothes.  Like threadbare or cottons, some leathers - like _real_ leather.  Not shiny plastic pleather or imitation leather. There were hats too, lots of different ones.

The women almost all wore dresses and one very worrying thing was the presence of staffs with blades on the end, or swords, and the occasional shield. I made sure to move far away from those.

But the further I walked into this town, the more I noticed people looking at me.  Not just at me but my -ahem- assets. Men stared long and quirked their brows, and women watched me closer.

I had walked into what was apparently the town square because there were stalls and merchants selling goods like fabrics, some food, and there were tradesmen selling their gear as well. The largest of the brick houses were here with some sort of broke statue of a woman with her hands outstretched.

I’ve seen my fair share of catholic churches but that woman did not look like Mother Mary. There were robed women milling about as well but their robes were wrong. They were red and gold and white. Where were the nuns?  

While I had been walking through town I picked up on what people were saying, the language they spoke and it was a cross between Italian and Spanish with some mixed in English and some other language I just could not understand.  I only spoke fluent English and I had a passing ear for Spanish thanks to my upbringing but I could speak some spanish when pressed. Just not a whole lot of it.

Either way this whole place was _weird._

“Excuse me.”  I approached one of the robed women who turned the stink eye on me. My thinking was that religious officials are usually forthcoming, especially if you show an interest in listening to them proselytize - of which I was because this did not resemble any place like home or the island.

“¿Que deseas?” The woman snapped roughly at me, and pulled a dagger from her sleeve.

I raised my hands and took a step back. “Woah.. sorry sorry I don’t-”  I coughed and took a moment to think of the words.  “¿Perdoname, donde esta el pastol?” I asked for the pastor, assuming they were of the various Christian denominations and intending on going to their superior for help.

“Pastol?” The woman turned to her companion who was paler than me, if I could believe it. They didn’t recognize the word and even stumbled over it.

“¿Cómo se dice...el padre?” I asked, taking too long to form the words before i asked and switching to a more Catholic word.  My Spanish was rusty and mispronounced.  I sounded like a _gringa_ , as my mother used to tease me any time I tried to practice Spanish.  Needless to say I never learned it properly thanks to that.

Both women stiffened and eyed me harsher. “¿¡Padre?!”  The one I had addressed sneered at me and then spit at my feet. “Tevinter bruja!” And pulled their blades up,

Did she just say…?  Yet i was distracted as I gaped at the daggers again. “No no! ¡Perdóname. ¿Por favor ayudarme?”  I pleaded and backed up. But both women continued to speak and faster and faster, I couldn’t even translate if I wanted to. Either way I stumbled away, far from them until I found myself at the docks.

Well so much for religious folks being universally helpful. I was sure it had something to with my pronunciation or maybe even how I was dressed.  Either way they hadn’t even looked friendly to begin with, immediately looking at me suspiciously.

“Ugh this fucking sucks. I hate speaking Spanish.” I rolled the saliva in my mouth.  Forming the words for Spanish always made my mouth feel heavier, the sounds just _wrong_ to me because I was so hardwired for English at my age.

Another ship was docking, its wooden exterior had me frowning.  Ships that size hadn’t been made of wood in more than a century.  And if they were it was all for show.  Why then were _all_ these ships that were docked made of wood. The ship’s sails were tied up by the crew and then a tall strutting woman with a large hat meandered off, followed by what looked like a shadow. But that wasn’t what drew my gaze to them.  Emblazoned on the side of the ship were the words _Siren’s Call_.

_What?_

I snapped my head toward the woman and the man who clung to her like a shadow, mouth agape as I took in the overabundance of jewels, her hat and the sway of her hips.

She must have felt my eyes on her because she looked my way and I gasped.

It was Isabela.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ask me how many times I texted my mom "what's the Spanish word for..." or "How do you phrase this in colloquial Spanish?" Go on ask me...
> 
> Chanclas - Flip Flops (in case you missed it)  
> ¿Que deseas? - What do you want?  
> ¿Perdoname, donde esta el pastol? - Excuse me, where is the pastor?  
> ¿Cómo se dice...el padre? - How do you say, the Father/priest  
> ¡Perdóname! ¿Por favor ayudarme? - Forgive me! Please help me?!  
> Bruja - Crone/Witch


	2. Dance of the Green Fairy pt1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiana wakes up in the body of an Lavellan Herald to her horror, and takes it as a bad trip.

Tiana gawked down, horrified at her body. The dainty long fingers, the rail thin thighs, the too smooth stomach. It was terrifying, a great terrible prank, surely. She was _not_ thin. So seeing this, was the most terrible thing to ever happen to her. Surely this was a bad trip. Too much Absinthe? 

Although, the near nonexistent breasts was one plus but the joy of that paled in comparison to her body, her dainty slim body. And what was worse, was her hand. It glowed green and the pain laced up her arm.

Oh the Joys of the Green Fairy. 

She did not cry out. Her pain tolerance was exceptionally high, and was being overwritten by the horror.

"What in the fuck!?" She screeched. She could take the mark on her hand - because honestly who hasn't dreamed about being the Herald - but this?! Being in an _elf_ body. Hell no, this was the worst trip ever. 

If it wasn't a trip, then it was a nightmare. 

She groaned. If she had to dream of being in Dragon Age, why the hell would her brain pick an _elf_ body. She didn't like the elves. She swears if she is also a mage, she will commit seppuku and wake up from this drug addled clusterfuck.

Her head snapped up as the dungeon doors opened and in strolled in Cassandra.

"Oh great, and here comes the cavalry." She spat, grumbling at the Nevarran before she could talk. "Let me guess..." She did her best impression of Seeker Pentaghast she could muster. "Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now." Cassandra's stride paused her mouth opened and her glare became worse. "The conclave is destroyed.  Everyone who attended is  _dead._ "  She continued and snorted.  "Except for _me_. Gosh this old song and dance, man why do I have to sit through this again.  As if I haven't played the opening sequence seventeen billion times already." 

"Explain yourself." Cassandra growled. "How did you know what I was going to say?" 

Tiana watched as Leliana also strolled in, her interest piqued. 

"GOD!"  She tried to smack her forehread but the chains prevented her from moving.  She glared at the offending metal.  "This is so stupid. Look can we skip this.  I hated the tutorial.  Right you need me to potentially help close the Breach that is reigning terror blah blah yadda yadda. Skip..skip? _skip?!_  square?  Damn."  Tiana frowned, thinking of the way the skipping function worked in game but nothing happened.

"Do you remember what happened then?" 

"What? Do I remember what happened?  No I don't fucking remember what happened.  I won't remember because a Nightmare Demon took my memories.  A spirit of Faith helped her out of the Fade and well.. actually.  Hold up how  _did_ I end up here?  Whatever it's a dream anyway. Fucking dreams are weird as shit.  _anyway_ You need help with the breach can we just.. ya know get a move on already?" Tiana looked at them. "I hate the tutorial after the fifth time." 

Cassandra and Leliana looked to each other. "Go to the forward camp, Leliana." 

"Go to the forward camp, Leliana." Tiana mimicked on point. 

 

After Leliana left, Tiana ignored the pain in her hand, completely and wholly.  It wasn't _hers_ after all. 

"Goddamn I'm tired. Come on, Lady Seeker hurry hurry, we need to get to the breach.  Double time." She held her hands out to the Seeker who stared at her. 

"You are a strange one." 

"Yeah whatever. I'm strange.  You're the one who clearly needs my help and you keep me in chains." 

"How did you know this?" 

"Buh I've _seen_ it like over and over."  She exasperated, impatient and grumbling.  "I swear why can't I skip these cutscenes." She grumbled under her breath as Cassandra paraded her through Haven. And then they were on their way.  At least until the bridge to which Tiana sat and waited. 

"There is an explosion that is about to happen on this bridge." 

"What?" 

"I ain't getting on that bridge. Hell no." 

"We do not have time for this."  

"Pfft, fine. Your funeral." 

The explosion happened. Tiana fell into a pile of boxes and not the weapons. Cassandra looked back at her bewildered, at least until the demons came crashed down. "

"Stay behi-" 

"Stay behind you?" Tiana grinned and then yelped as a shade came barreling forward. Cassandra had never untied the ropes around her wrist. "YOU FORGOT TO UNTIE ME!" 


	3. The Unknowing Chef MCIT

For whatever purpose, because I refuse to believe I was brought here for no reason, I am stuck here. I have the misfortune to being reborn - or perhaps reformed? -  gifted by this world's rule.  Their Maker, under the confines of their Chantry, would see me  imprisoned to learn their structures and rules of this gift. Well I would not stand for such treatment. I mean these so called mages aren't even allowed to visit their families.  And while I do not have any of my own, in this world, I would still like the freedom my forefathers of my birthworld granted me. Because  _ I am as free as a bird and this bird you can not change _ .  I am like a wild goose, or turkey, or perhaps a chicken. 

Speaking of chickens, a rather peculiar hen came in courtesy of Ser DuPois.  I do not have the heart of killing it because it is rather fluffy.  Where they managed to find such a rare breed is beyond me.  I have named it Francois and he shall be my lovely pet. Too bad it was not a magical crab, although just a crab would be nice as I have the penchant for the magicalness. 

Anyway, I suppose I should start at, well the beginning.  I was brought forth to this world when disaster struck my birthworld.  An earthquake, though I hear Thedosians have such they just are rather rare.  Nonetheless my location on my country's west coast has led me to being rather laissez faire when it comes to such things.  It was commonplace and well, to be perfectly honest until it was a certain magnitude, do not bother waking me up.  I shouldn't have gotten accustomed to such a thing.  Especially with the sheer force and strength of such disasters increasing over time. See, I have this rather obtuse theory that my birthworld had been dying and those of my species had been, for lack of a better word, ignorant to the Titans that lay beneath our very toes.  They were dead and their decaying corpses sent shockwaves through the earth.  It was unbalanced and well it takes a great many things to rebalance a world, as I've understood.  Creation, death... all sorts.  Unless the dominant species on the world can fix it... then they will likely be extinct. 

As you can imagine, an earthquake took me.  Only as it turns out Titans are  _ connected _ no matter the world.  I wasn’t the only one mind you but when we fell into the depths of our world, we were transported. I supposed you could say we “fell” to Thedas but that isn’t really accurate for when we did arrive on Thedas, many of us were lost in time as well.  Scattered throughout Thedosian history. 

I bet you wonder how I know this. Well, there is a rather long standing tradition of what I like to call us, Riftwalkers. We have a domain only we can access. It’s a terrible place really.  Our exposure to raw titan blood and connection to the Fade gives us this unique ability to create our domain. Problem is we all access the same domain. Doubly worrisome is that some Thedosians can view it and some can even contribute to it. So we created a city, a safe zone for us and strictly us. The ones that came before me safeguarded it and it was beautiful.  A library - no an archive of everything we missed from home.  Perfectly safe and preserved.  Until something happened.  I’m not entirely sure but the rest of the domain was accessible by only the most powerful of us. It was our playground. If you’ve ever played a sandbox game then you’d know how that usually ends up. Trollers and grievers causing all manner of mayhem and strife.  

I don’t go to this domain much except for the occasional reference and only ever into the city.  Thedosians here call it the Black City.  But whenever I go, it’s purely magnificent and gold. Oh sure occasional one of  _ them _ try to access it but well, it never ends well. 

Ah well, I suppose that’s enough postulating today. This chicken dinner isn’t going to cook itself and Madame de Fer is rather a pernicious woman. Though I rather like her sweet heart and how well she cares for Duke Bastien. 

Francois shall accompany me! 


	4. Modern Thieves in Thedas

“Mira pendejo, would you shut your damn mouth?” I hissed angrily at my partner.  Every time we go on a big job like this he always has to open his mouth too often. He was such a chatterbox.  I swear I should have left him home but he’s good with the safes and I am not nearly as skilled at opening them without explosives.

I pulled our bag of equipment up from the window.  We’d just managed to disarm the security system from the outside.  Well by disarm I mean our buddy down there, Blake, put in a dummy feed through the outside box and shut off the motion sensors.  He’s good like that.  Meanwhile, the asshole with me, Jimmy was busy chewing on his gum while pulling on his gloves.  I don’t know why he hadn’t had them on in the first place.

“Look, this is a simple job, okay?  Get into the basement via the stairs in the study, crack the safe we were what we were hired for. Got it? No wise cracking or going into the other rooms.  Not worth it.  Clearly this guy has some insurance and maybe even someone watching the house so don’t turn on any of the lights.”  I hissed this as we moved to the door.  He had picked up the equipment because he’s good at that, lifting heavy things that is.  I was good at stealth. I cracked the door open and peered out through the slit to check the way. 

I was only on the job because I was stealthy, agile, quiet, flexible, and able to hide in places most people wouldn’t expect.  In some circles they call me the contortionist.  Plus if I needed to make a getaway I knew a bit of free running, no sorry _parkour_ to get me out of a difficult neighborhood, and old fashioned lock-picking.  Impressive yeah?  Short of trying to become a stunt double, highly unlikely, I had nowhere to go in terms of employment with that list of skills.

The coast was clear and we slipped through the halls as silent as possible.  It was a bit hard, I swear Jimmy sounded like he was stomping around like a giant behind me.  We got to the study.  The only room in the house with no windows, which I found odd but given where the study leads to, I figured that’s why it was picked.  Once inside we switched our headsets back on.

“Blake, where do we go from here? I don’t see any stairs.” Jimmy spoke softly for once.

“Okay.  The _hidden_ entrance should be in a corner, try the one closest to the hallway.”

Hidden entrances, Jesus fucking Christ, what was this guy Richie Rich? Jimmy went to the wall and knocked softly along it, around the bookcases until he gestured for me to come over.  He found the hollow bit.  Good.  From there I peaked around, my fingers pushing at spots until the wall caved and slid to the left.  Success!  We moved slowly down the narrow tight stairs.  Me first as I could move easier around anything in the way. 

“Okay.  I see you on the feed.  Don’t worry I still got the dummy running.  Want me to turn the lights on?  I don’t see any windows in the room.”

“yeah-“

“No.” 

Jimmy and I looked at each other.  “No.”  I reaffirmed.  “Might be my paranoia but they might be able to track how much electricity is being pulled.  If it’s unusual, then they might send someone.  Keep em off.”  We slipped into the room.  I could see a wall and it looked like a full walled safe.  “Jimmy, you’re up.”

He dropped our bag down and he began pulling out his equipment, a plain stethoscope, some wires with a camera and a simple tube of what looked like adhesive.  He got to work and I examined everything around us. It was bare and like Blake said, no windows.

“Zoe, I need to move.  I put the repeater on the box and hid it. But just warning you.  There’s a patrol car going around.  I just hid.”

“Gotcha.”  I didn’t like that.  It made me impatient so I watched Jimmy work.  I knew I had to be silent and still so I was. 

“Zo, hold this.  Something ain’t right.” Jimmy said. 

“What?” I didn’t like it. I came to him and he pulled a flashlight out of his mouth for me to hold. 

“Its tumble locks, like on a door but they’re already in place. I don’t have to do anything.”  Alarm bells were ringing in my head.  This sounds like a set up. 

“Blake, is this a set up?” I whispered harshly into my headset.  There was nothing, not even static. “Blake.”

“Zo…”  I turned to see Jimmy had opened the safe.  He wasn’t moving but was just as alarmed. 

“Don’t go in yet.”  I whispered and contacted Blake again. “Blake, fucking answer me.” 

“Yeah sorry.  I got caught in the fence.  Listen there is another patrol car around.  Hurry up.  Get the goods and lets go.  I’m gonna call Jose with the car, just in case we need a quick exit.”  Relief spread through me at Blake’s twang.  Thank fucking Christ it wasn’t a set up.  I would have booked it.  Granted I’m still suspicious, but at least it wasn’t one of our own. 

“You heard him.”  We went into the safe and found it was huge!  Like aisles huge. Jimmy and I pulled our bags from the equipment bag and began grabbing the boxes. In them was jewelry, diamond earrings, pearl necklaces, precious gems, diamond encrusted combs, gemmed brushes, gold fucking bars for fuck’s sake! We stuffed them in the bags, as much as we knew we could carry. 

“What was it the guy said we had to pick up?”  Jimmy asked.

“A mirror, said it’d be white.  Said it was priceless some history piece or whatever.” I told him and we moved around searching for a mirror, anything.  “But, I don’t see any mirrors.”  I rummaged frantically through more boxes, not caring if there was a mess.  Fuck we needed to find it and get out of here.

“Zo.  I found it, but…”

“But what, Jim… oh shit.”  I had followed his voice and the mirror he found was huge, nearly twice my height huge.  I’m short too. It was white and it was flush with the wall.  Its frame was, from what I could tell, was a white metal and engraved with vines and flowers and at the top of the mirror was a red gem. 

“Fuck, Zo how are we getting it out?”  Good question.  No way could we even haul that up the stairs. But there had to be another way. 

“Look around.  There has to be another way out of here.  The guy couldn’t have brought it in the way we came.”  Jimmy nodded and went searching the room.  I on the other hand looked at the mirror closer.  What was so priceless about this mirror? I stepped toward it.  We called it a mirror but it wasn’t even reflecting anything.  The glass looked dirty, and rusted, if that was even possible.

While Jimmy looked for a way to carry it out, I got close and began trying to pull the thing away from the wall.  It didn’t give way, not at first.  But I managed to grab the siding and was pulling at different angles.  I didn’t notice the edges of the mirror were sharp until I gripped hard and it sliced through my gloves.  Blood dripped from my hands and I yelped, falling back.  The mirror changed.  A purple light seemed to fill in where the glass was, or was supposed to be.

“What the fuck did you do, Zo?” I heard Jimmy say and he came up by me, helping me to my feet.

“I was trying to pull it out of the wall, the edges are sharper than they look, but then that shit happened.  It’s not a fucking mirror.” I swore some more, pulling my glove off and eye the small pinpricks of blood. I stopped when we heard footsteps behind us.  Quickly we grabbed our assorted defense gear.  Me with a taser and Jimmy with a machete from his back. 

“Guys… I’ve been trying to get you on the headset but something is interfering.”  It was Blake.  Still, I was tense.

“Wait what?”

“Yeah something is interfering with all electricity in the area.  All the lights went out in the area. I was trying to call Jose when it just went dead.  I checked the repeater, its dead too.  So I climbed in and came in.  None of the security is powered, everything is without power right now.  Even the stuff with batteries.” Blake was a medium height pure bred white pasty American with a lanky frame and blonde hair. He wore glasses all the time, despite not needing it.  One of those hipsters.  Whereas Jimmy was all brawn and height, with dark olive skin.  He was strong and looked a brute but he was quite delicate with small fragile things.  Me, I was the Latina short stack of our group.  The little _Chihuahua_ as Jimmy liked to call me.  

“So no electricity? No power… shit man, this might be our lucky break.” Jimmy said and flashed a grin.  I nodded and we looked to the mirror. 

“I ain’t touching that shit again.” I spat at the mirror and Blake approached the mirror.

“This… shouldn’t be here.” He said and stepped back.  “This is definitely not a mirror.  Oh man… this could be a replica.”

“Blake, slow down.  We need to get this out but Zo here said she’s not touching it again, also what is with the purple shit.  Is it like a projector or something?” Jim asked all the questions I should be asking, but that shit gave me the chills.  But Blake wasn’t listening.  Instead we watched as he extended his hand and into the purple shit.  Fucking white people I swear!  It looked like water, with it rippling in the air.

“Zo…”  Blake turned to me with a smile.  “Come on, you gotta see this for what it is… Man this is a nice replica.”

“What do you mean?”  I didn’t like this, I wanted to stay away from the creepy mirror-thing.

“Come on... You played the game… whatever.”  He turned back and stuck his hand in.  “Looks like a hologram, super realistic.  It leads somewhere, this could just have been a doorway guys.  Come on, I bet there’s more shit to steal beyond.  Let’s do it while the power’s down.”

That made sense but I didn’t want to go anywhere near it. “I’ll stay here.”

“Damn girl, that paranoia is gonna give you more white hair.” I flinched, because my premature greying was not something I liked being brought up.

“I don’t care, that shit looks creepy.  You go in then.”  I snapped but Jimmy didn’t make a move either.  We both stared apprehensively at the thing, then looked to Blake.

“Cowards.”  Blake said and he just walked right in, the ripples in the purple shit framing him and then he was gone.  He didn’t come back out.

 

An hour. A whole fucking hour.  At first we thought maybe he found a lot of shit in there or something, so we began sifting through more stuff in the vault.  I found a first aid kit and used it on my hand, stuffing the kit into the bag along with the used cotton swabs.  I also got close enough to the mirror to wipe any of my evidence behind.  I quickly stumbled away, just encase. 

Jimmy found a wicked looking dagger, I found a few more gold things.  Gold would be easy to sell, untraceable practically, but gold coins?  Yeah weird.  But still I stuffed the bag with as much of it as possible.  I was getting thirsty, and worried.  After forty minutes that’s when I started contemplating going after him.  Blake, the idiot.  Why’d he go in there?  For all we know it goes into a straight plummet down. 

“Okay… this is real fucked up.  This ain’t no horror movie, I know, else I would have gone in first and be dead, but Blake… he’s like a brother to me, we can’t leave him.”  Jimmy says as I paced back and forth.  The bags were stuffed with jewels, daggers, and things we found.  “Zo… look we gotta go in.  It ain’t right to leave one of us behind if we can help it.”

“I know.  But… fuck why’d he go in there?” I stepped up to the mirror when the lights in the room flickered on.  I nearly screamed, but managed to cover my mouth. “Shit… shit.”  We could hear footsteps coming from upstairs.  I grabbed one bag, Jimmy grabbed the other two and we crouched low. 

“Zo.”

“No.”

“We’re going.”

“No, we don’t-“  I didn’t get to finish my sentence as we heard footsteps on the stairs and Jimmy grabbed me and pushed me into the mirror, quickly following after me.  We landed not that far.  A few feet away from the other side and at Blake’s feet. 

“We can’t go back.”  His voice sounded hoarse like he’d been screaming.  “I tried to yell at you to leave from this side but you couldn’t hear me, I guess.”

Everything around us was white, white and pleasantly warm. And there we were, dressed all in black.  Blake in black trousers, black long sleeve shirt, gloves, beanie, and boots. Jimmy in black cargo pants, combat boots and a black beater shirt.  And me in tights, a tight long sleeve shirt, my own boots, and my belt.  We didn’t have the money for fancy gear, plus we found the heavier stuff weighed us down.

I looked to the mirror we came from and found it was purple but that rust color was coming back, filling it in. “What the fuck…”  it all felt strangely familiar yet not at all.  “Blake, where are we?”

“The Fade.  Or… well The Crossroads.”  Say what now?

“You’re fucking with me.”

“No.”

“You gotta be.  That shit ain’t real.  We aren’t in one of your stupid fanfictions, Blake.  Stop fucking around.” I scrambled up and pushed him back.  He stumbled back, held his hands up. 

“Look, I know it sounds crazy, especially with the mirror having shut off, but maybe we can find another one in here.  Look around, there are loads. There’s bound to be one open for us to go through.”

The fucking Fade.  That is from a video game and probably more, but fictional, fake!  It’s not supposed to be real.  Is that what Blake meant? 

“You said, earlier that I should know what the mirror was, why?” Blake scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“I always forget you don’t finish your games.  You get bored.  In Dragon Age: origins, the DLC Witch Hunt, Morrigan finds an eluvian.  If you played it completely you would have known.  Or even the second game, or the third one, that I’m sure you’ve left forgotten next to your playstation.” Blake continued on, pausing only to reach into the bag.  There he pulled a bottle of water out from his bag.  He drank and I snatched the bottle, drinking as well.  I was so thirsty and I always forgot we packed water and other survival gear, something Blake insisted on for each job. 

“Fuck, but this can’t be real.  This shit doesn’t happen.  Are you two playing a prank?”

“And risk your anger turned to revenge and later vengeance?” Jimmy said as he slowly stood.  “Hell fucking naw.  I remember what you did last time we thought to play a prank.  So not going through that again.” I watched as Jimmy rubbed a scar under his chin.  It made me grin at the memory of kicking him so hard the bone fractured and tore through his skin. The beauty of steel-toed boots.

“Okay… well, if we go through another mirror, where will we end up?  How do you know this isn’t just some hallway the guy has under his house and like some electrical force field or some shit like that?” I really didn’t want to entertain the possibility of what he was suggesting, it was just impossible, right?

“Right, well I’ve had an hour to think on that.  Only a few places with Eluvians are mentioned in game.  With any luck, we end up at Skyhold.  I’m really hoping we end up at Skyhold.  That’s in the Frostbacks and we can easily get to Val Royeaux or any other city from there.” He said as he hefted his bag up tore his beanie off.

“Right.”  Because none of that made any lick of sense. Jimmy and I shared a look.  Jimmy didn’t unsettle easy.  He’d been in the army.  You’d think he’d have PTSD or something but he rolls with a lot of shit.  I asked once how he could do that, his answer was simply “Ain’t nothing you can do about situations sometimes.  Just roll with it until you can do something.” Easy for him to say.  But I tried, so I took a deep breath and nodded.  “Okay, lead the way.”

 

 

After marking the mirror we came from as a precaution, we walked.  For how long I don’t know.  But long enough that we took a break to drink more water and nap a bit. There had to be thousands of mirrors.  But we kept to one direction, because if we started veering, who knows how lost we’d be.

“This is reminding me of that Cube movie.”  Jim said when we were more rested.  We were all hungry, I could tell by the grumbling of our stomachs in intervals.

“Ugh.  Please don’t, I’m already jumpy as it is.”  I mumbled as I stretched my legs. In the walk I had stripped my shirt off, leaving me in my black bra and tights.  I didn’t care.  I’ve known these guys for most of my life.  Blake had shed his ridiculous glasses and outer shirt.  Jimmy on the other hand was fine as he is.  Our bags were heavy as well. 

“So, Bah-lakay.”  Jimmy called to Blake who was examining mirrors around us while we rested. “Anything yet?”

“No.”  This was how he’d been the entire time.  I would have told you how long, but that wipe back in the vault killed our phones and my digital watch.  Blake walked to another mirror and was staring intently at it, his hands flitting around the edges.

“Want to at least chat?  You’ve been quiet for hours.”  Jimmy said as he rose. I watched, because my legs were tired, my feet ached.  Combat boots are not the kind to wear when you’re going walking for extended periods of time.

“There’s uh… something I have to show you guys.” Blake said.  His tone was like he did something bad, like he was confessing.  I shot up to my feet and stalked to him. “It’s nothing about how we got here.  But when I stopped screaming, after I realized ya’ll couldn’t hear me.  Well I noticed something off about me.”

“Off?” I had slowed and stood, crossing my arms.  “What do you mean off?”

“Well, I was hoping it happened with you too, but you would have noticed.”  He was wringing his hands and moved to look at the mirror.  “It’s like an awareness, like… knowing or having something.  I don’t know.  Like an extension.  Like I grew a tail all of a sudden, but I can’t see it.  I can…feel it.”

“What do you mean?” Jimmy went to touch Blake’s forehead, but his hands were slapped away. 

“Its... I dunno.  But I was trying something when you guys slept.  Like trying to push whatever it is, out.  And something happened.”  Blake held his hands out. “Just… watch.”

We watched.  Seconds turned to minutes and he insisted we keep watching.  I could see he was concentrating.  Finally something happened.  It was like a cool breeze all of a sudden.  There were white things in his hands, flurries.  Then there was snow and ice exploding from his hand in a shower around us.  Jimmy pushed himself back and I ducked behind the mirror. 

“Sorry.  I guess I was trying to make it small and I just started pushing a lot of it… “ Blake said but his hands were covered in ice, but it was melting and suddenly there was a puddle beneath him.  “I think… it’s magic.”

“Magic ain’t real.  I think we’ve been here too long.” Jimmy said as he walked forward.  “Ain’t that right, Zo?”

I was shaking my head though.  I recognized that this was crazy, impossible, just flat out insane.  I mean how we could be here in the fade.  And then Blake just suddenly has magic, clearly undeveloped magic too if his pathetic attempt at Winter’s Grasp was any indication. 

So I lied earlier, well Blake lied.  I did know, but you have to understand that kind of thinking is for the fandom, the fanfictions.  That’s something they would dream of.  Me, I’m a realist.  Wanting to be in a fictional world like that?  In Thedas? That’s not something you wish for.  If any indication of human history was to beings depravity and violence.  No fuck that, being here is not a good thing.  Being here, even in the Fade, or the Crossroads as Blake called it, is not a good thing.  It is a very bad thing, particularly bad for us. We have no combat skills.  We might have some survival skills, but combat?  Fighting people off that are armored and armed? No.  We are so screwed.

“-it’s magic.  You can see.  How else is there suddenly water here?”  Blake was talking.  I must have tuned out.

“Look I can see how this is, okay.  We’re probably in this guy’s underground bunker and he’s made it seem like there are a bunch of mirrors but we’ve been going in circles.  Yeah.  It all looks the same.  Maybe he’s just a psychopath, but what you’re saying here is that… it’s magic?  Nah, brother.  No. That ain’t real. And saying it is, is just gonna make Zoe here freak out more than she is-“

“It’s magic.  It’s real.”  I blurted out, causing Jimmy and Blake to look at me. Blake in relief and Jimmy in outrage.   “Okay, not ideal.  But that thing we passed through-“

“Eluvian.”

“Whatever.  It got us here.  So we’re here in the fade.  How come we haven’t seen any spirits or demons?  We’re probably the three most corrupt humans it’s seen ever.”

“Well… not the most corrupt.  There were the Tevinter magisters that started the Blight.”  Blake said.  Jimmy and I glared at him. “Okay… well anyway so you believe me Zoe.  Good.  And its fine Jim if you don’t.  But this magic, I’ve been trying to use it to sense other magic at work.  And it’s worked.  I’ve been leading us to an Eluvian that may be having magic poured into it.  But we don’t know where it will lead us.  I’m hoping its Skyhold. That would be ideal.  If not it could be at Merril’s or if anything the one Morrigan first uses.”

Jimmy walked away from us, muttering about how it’s crazy and childish to believe in magic.  I agreed but there was proof right there in front of me.  So unless Blake has been carrying around liquid nitrogen, I doubt science could explain how he did that.

“Okay, so what do we need to do?”

“Wait mostly.  I don’t feel it coming from anywhere else.”  He was looking at the mirror and then sitting down, pulling his bag closer.  He pulled out a bag of some kind.  “Hungry?” He smirked.  My brows rose.

“What?” I watched as he pulled out a packet of granola bars.  My stomach grumbled loudly. He tossed me one and then one at Jimmy as he was stalking back.  “You had these, all this time?”

“I didn’t want to use them too early.  One for each of us, for now anyway. Who knows how long we’ll have to wait. Probably not that long, I feel the magic growing in it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never actually continued this one beyond this point. -shrugs- it was an idea and I never exactly worked it out further.


	5. Sex Addict MCIT

It starts like it always does. The soothing crackling of the crystals burning in the burnt brown metal pipe.  A wisp of smoke breaking free as she pulls the straw away from her mouth.  The glazed eyes following it’s movements up and swirling with the ceiling fan.  Her eyes caught to the movement of it, head moving with it rather than her bloodshot eyes.  The dark webbed bruises under her eyes contrasted with the pallid clammy skin.  Chewed up nails scratched at her cheek and rather than laying down against the grimy mud couch, she stood up.  The pipe lay against a threadbare covered table next to a mahogany box.

She toppled slightly to the left, caught herself and moved toward the canvas covered wall. In large font printed and stuck to the wall were the words SLAUGHTER AT WALLSTREET.  Lips twitching, she reached into the pockets of her smock, fumbling with a handful of brushes as all but one fell to the floor.  Her movements still unsteady she grabbed the palatte and filled it with strawberry blood, gutter water blue, and florescent yellow paints.  Then she got to work. 

Rivers of sepia filled the canvas and soon skylines of clouds joined it.  A purple sunrise and sharp angled bodies filled it.  Shattering popping glass sounded as her pipe was lit up and smoke soon joined the canvas, filling it with a screaming corpse. 

The room was touched by dawn’s light and the palette was dropped as the image came into focus.  She sat on her knees smoking, not the pipe but instead a small stick of rolled up paper.  The glaze in her eyes was replaced with a crystal clear understanding and appreciation. 

A slamming door jolted her body and she turned to view the uniformed figure.  Squinting, she pulled the chain that held her glasses up and soon the man came into view.

“Kenzie.  You’ve been smoking again?”  A deep timbre filled her with smiles and she rose up lifting a red and green stained hand where she smeared the paint into place. 

“Just one hit.”  Her voice was saccharine as she stretched cracked blistered lips displaying a broken toothy grin.  “Maybe two…”  Her nose crinkled sheepishly as he stepped up to her.  Calloused hands gripped her waist, turned her to face the canvas. 

“You’re a mess…”  He placed a gentle kiss to her temple, his badge glinting in the morning light.

“Clean me up?”  She sighed as his hands slipped up her hips to rub over her modest bosom.  Shivering legs and swaying hips had him groaning into her neck.  “It’s been so long.”  Her voice rasped as his hips ground into her. 

She was pulled back, but instead of toward the door she was pushed against the stained couch.  The filthy smock was yanked off and her hips jutted up against his grinding hips.  His station issued uniform pants were unzipped, belt unbuckled.  The clattering metal drove a shiver up her spine because she knew what that meant. 

The skirt of her dress was hiked up, and the top pushed down to expose her breasts and pinned her hands to her sides.  The hardened organ pierced right into her.  Frantic thrusting hips met each other.  Hands splayed over each breast, the cold metal of a wedding ring sending her nipples into pert buds. 

“Mark…”  She moaned out, legs trembling under his weight. He pulled out and flipped her, her legs wrapping around his hips as they met and joined again. 

“Don’t call me that…” he grunted as he thrust into her wildly.  His hand seeking out her clit. 

“S-so-sorry…”  She stuttered out as she lifted her hips to meet his.  “…br-brother…” She moaned, eyes clouding and darkening with each twitch of his fingers against her engorged button.  His erratic movements became hard jamming into her as he gripped her tightly. 

“Sis… you feel so good.”  He growled, eyes closing as he was lost in his fantasy.   Her eyes remained on him, breathing quickly but not due to the activities.  Pupils contracted in a momentary moment of fear and then she was quivering her release.  The sudden gripping had him grunting his own, right into her. 

Panting, shuddering breaths filled the room up and he pulled away and out of her.  She lay there a moment before rolling her shoulders and pushing her dress back up. 

“Mom wants us over for Sunday dinner.”  Mark said as he did up his belt and righted his uniform. 

“Your mother is always trying to get on my good side.  Is dad actually going to be present or will he be off gallivanting to ‘fantasy football’ again?”  She aired quotation marks and got up, tripping only once as she packed away her pipe, gently sliding the glass into the cushioned box.

“Probably.”  He replied tersely as he watched her form.  “Are you… good?  Because I can get a viagra.”

“I’m good for a week.  Same time right?”  Kenzie’s smile was dripping honey but he nodded.  “How’s Ellen?”  She switched the conversation remembering the wedding band. 

“She’s good.  Still won’t let me in the house but the baby is coming along nice.”  He said softly and rose.  “I have to get back to work.  I came only to drop off some groceries.  Felt like you needed them too.” 

“And to fuck me.” She said methodically as she grabbed her smock. “I’ll see you Sunday then.”  She didn’t watch as he walked out, instead her eyes remained on the painted canvas.  Lithe legs carried her to the window where she opened them and let in the morning air.

 

* * *

 

She didn’t remember coming home with them.  She just remembered that her vibrator had broken.  She was wandering the streets trying to get to the convenience store to buy batteries when they propositioned her.  A moment of weakness and she said yes and all but dragged them up to her apartment. They’d been shocked at first and then incredibly enthusiastic as they began stripping. 

That was five hours ago. 

Her body was sweaty and convulsing on top of one of them.  Her eyes peeked open and she spied blonde hair.  That meant the brunette was already asleep.  Pity, she could feel the exhaustion and the small whimpers of pain from this one. 

“Please, let me cum…”  He begged and she growled, picking herself up and off him and then sitting on him again. 

“No.  I’m not finished yet.”  She moaned as she felt another wave coming.  Mark would be so disappointed in her but the fire had burned in her veins and it was so painful.  She was still new to going clean, she guessed she’d have to go back to meetings after this.

A hand gripped her shoulder and yanked her off the whimpering blonde.  “Leave now.”  She expected Mark but she saw the powerful figure of her father. 

The whimpering blonde shook awake the other one and they scrambled away. 

“Unbelievable.  You were doing so good.”  The man she looked up to looked away.  “Get dressed, I’m taking you to a meeting now.”

“Can I shower first-“

“No.  You’re going to go there smelling like sex and you’ll show off your shame.”  His imposing figure loomed over her and she nodded, pulling on the clothes she had worn to go out.  She slipped on flats and tied her hair back. 

Father and daughter walked the streets, the air between them thick with anger and disappointment on both ends.  He looked at her skimpy dress and frowned, taking his jacket off and placing it over her.  The chill never bothered Kenzie, the fire in her blood was always unbearable, always searching for a way out. 

Entering the church’s basement, she spied the group of people she hadn’t seen in months.  Her father directed her to a chair and she sat, feeling the squish of wetness between her thighs.  She hadn’t worn any panties. She saw one of the girls there turn to stare at her, a look of knowing and jealousy overcoming her but turned back to the speaker. 

She didn’t hear the words, too focused on clenching her thighs tightly, rubbing against herself and making herself cum, right there in the middle of the church, surrounded by her father and a dozen other sex addicts. 

“Kenz, nice to see you.  Care to share your story?”

She looked up at the proctor of the group and nodded.  Her father would want her to, that’s for sure.  She stood and walked up.  Many of the faces that stared back at her nodded in understanding at her appearance.  “Hi… I’m Kenzie.” 

“Good Evening, Kenzie.”  Chorused around her and she gave a sad smile.

“Today… I was propositioned by two strange men on the street.  I was using tools to prevent me from going to people and…”  She gulped, feeling the shame of her actions.  “I brought them back to my apartment and used them, for sex for hours, until one of them passed out and the other was in pain.” 

A chorus of, ‘you can get back on’ and ‘don’t worry I’m starting over too’ filled her with belonging.

“My father caught me and stopped me.  Brought me straight here, so…I’m starting over.”  She stepped down and sat next to her father.  It was a relief, baring it and starting over again.  Maybe this time she’ll last longer than six months on the diet Ellen put her on.  Mark would be put off though having to come over thrice a week during lunch. 

“Better?”  Her father’s gentle tone soothed her shame.

“Better.”  She smiled and he pat her head. 

“Let’s get you home after this.” 

 

* * *

 

Kenzie shook the empty bottle, hoping against hope that it wasn’t empty that it would clink with some crystal she couldn’t see but it was empty.  Opening it, she stuck her finger in.  _No NO!_   The blank canvas was bright white and unfortunately empty.  Her paints were set up and ready for use.  She just needed the one ingredient. 

Contracted eyes swerved around searching for an answer, anything.  She needed some, needed just one crystal.

 _The box._  

Scrambling on hands and knees she grabbed the case that held her pipe, fingers gripping it as she pulled it apart.  The foam that kept it all in place was ripped and there.  A clink against linoleum had her freezing.  Slowly, too slowly she felt around the floor, felt the small miniscule crystal.  She wasn’t even sure if it was but she brought it to her rosy tongue and tasted it. 

_Yesss._

She plunked it into her aluminum pipe and with a calm ease burned it, the smoke catching in her mouth and she inhaled.  A deep sigh escaped her as the world aligned, her muse, her inspiration, and the ideas in her head coming together in perfect unison.  She could see the words from where she sat, MIDNIGHT MURDER.

Standing, the world swayed and she moved to grab her palate, her hand reaching into her smock but came away empty.  Frowning, she looked back and saw the brushes scattered everywhere from her mad dash to find one crystal.  Stomping as best she could she snatched any brush up.  She could improvise.  The world swayed again but she made it to the canvas.  Tonight she would bludgeon the world in starlight, seafoam, and cherries. 

A crescent of freshly printed moss, polygon tar splatters and dusting silver linings into the canvas filled her in sorrowful elation.  Brush forgotten her fingernails edged each star, spirals and staircase constellations came into focus but then the world was less hazy.  Kenzie stumbled back, toward the pipe and lit it up but the crystal’s essence was used, burnt up. 

_No! Fuck._

Flicking left and crawling right, her eyes searched for something to help her, help the crawling itching images in her head.  They needed to come out, needed to escape.  Glasses perched on her nose, she crawled toward the small bundle of metal on the floor. 

Shaky fingers flipped the burner open and each resounding beep made her bone white teeth cringe and grind.    The ring was no better and she held it closer.  “I’ve run out of the dragon, you got any?”  Her voice rasped out. 

The affirmative filled her soul with a soothing somber song.  Happy sap leaked from her and she stood.  Black cloaked her, made her indistinguishable. 

_No one must know._

It was raining, the drops of clouds soothed the raging heat that was building beneath her skin.  But the fire was less important, insignificant to the scrambling twitching feelings that words could never touch and make real.  

She dodged into an alley, knowing the steps by heart.  Too many times she’s made this trip but it was controlled.  Small dosages.  She wasn’t an addict.  She just needed it to get the pictures out and on paper.  That’s what she told herself time and time again.  But the fire, the sex… _that_ she would admit to being addicted to.  She’d scream it in front of a stadium full of her family and friends if it meant it would stop. 

“Hey.”

Reverie cracked, she turned to the figure.  New.  Eyes narrowed she stared at him.  

“Just a dime.”  She muttered, gripping his hand.  The money slipped from her hands to his and the small bag fell into her pocket. 

“I got you.  You okay?” 

They weren’t supposed to care, that’s why she liked them.  No questions, but this one was new.  She could see the nervous energy rippling around him.  “Fine. See ya.”   Dismissal, that’s what it was supposed to be. 

“It’s not safe.  Young pretty thing-“

“Goodbye.”  A note of finality.  She knew how young she looked, she also knew these parts. They weren’t safe, they were downright deadly but her glossy eyes and bedraggled appearance would hopefully mistake her for some degenerate homeless.  That’s what she hoped.

But her hopes were crushed.

Her legs carried her home, the docks close by.  When was the last time she saw the bay? Detouring, she heard the lapping and swishing, felt the spray of the ocean.  It was revitalizing, cold and sharp.  Brought her senses into focus. Fingers in her pocket, she pulled the dime bag. 

_Should I stop?_

_Do I really need it?_  

Fisting it, she nodded.  “This will be my last one-“ The cool steel of a blade at her throat halted her convictions, her promise. 

“Give it to me.”  She tasted the crusty flavor of the man behind her. The air around him reeked of piss and whiskey, although where he got whiskey when he was holding up a woman for a small dime bag of pink was anyone’s guess.  Stubborn foolishness, she held it.  She wouldn’t. 

“I-…”  She swallowed.  She should be pleading, having a break down, instead she felt the grip of finality. “I need it.”

“Not more than me bitch, give it or I’ll fuck you raw.” For emphasis, his hand clumsily groped her rough and wholeheartedly without luster.  But who was she to know whether he would fall through, or whether it was just a threat.  She waited too long, his blade digging into her throat and he ground into her hips.  She felt it, the long organ and rather than stoke the fire it repulsed her. 

_Why?_

“Give it-“ She heard a cocking of a gun and the homeless man stepped back. 

“Leave her alone man.”  New guy.  She turned grateful eyes to him but she felt the penetration.  Cold hard steel plunged into her once and then twice.  It wasn’t painful, it was relief, exulting her blood and being.  Free.

His brown eyes wide as he watched blood spill.  He was too new for this, too young.  She smiled at him as the man tackled him while he was distracted. Ringing in her ears let her know the gun had went off, but rather than go into the perpetrator, it grazed her, pushing her off the docks.  She watched them scuffle as she sank.  She was dying and all for a dime bag that she still clutched to.

 

* * *

 

“Miss.”

Sand, crunching gravel and caramel sand is what she sees.  She hasn’t seen sand since she was a child.  It was so much darker than her skin then.  She looked so pale, so pallid and sickly alabaster it was a wonder she was still alive.

“Miss, are you alright?”

The voice is so loud, ringing and slamming against her ear drum.  Her head is lazily moved to face up.  The sky was overcast, shining a pure white light all around. 

“Shit.  Hawke, she’s still breathing.”

“I’m not a healer.  Think she’ll make it to Anders?” 

A bottle, no vial is pressed against her lips and something washes down her throat. It is like a syrup so sweetly bitter that she coughs, wracking her body in heaving motions.  A hand stills her and turns her to her side.  Soothing words that she can’t make sense of reach her, it works somehow.

“We have to try.”

“Carver-“

“Got her.”

She’s lifted up, the movement sends nausea wafting through her and she groans. 

Time passes by and all she hears and feels is the crunch of gravel, then dirt and finally water.  So much water comes into focus and she’s scared she’ll drown.  Feeble and weak as she was, she makes a move to push away, but muscled arms hold her in place.  

“Hold on there, you’ll fall.”

“Don’t drown me…”  She’s begging, hands gripping the arms.  But he isn’t coming into focus because the world is too bright.  “…please.”

“I’m not going to, don’t worry.”  Soothing and bright blue eyes are the only thing she notices.  Sincere and pity curls her body closer to him.  So warm, so hard and smooth she groans closer and she hears laughter around them.

“Whats your name?” Another voice, she doesn’t turn to them, sticking to the man who held her so easily.  She didn’t feel the strain either.

“Kenzie…”  She sighs into the man’s shoulders and she hears him fumbling, sees the flush of pink on his cheeks.  “Sleepy time…”  She mutters, eyes fluttering closed.

“Wait… shit don’t go to slee-“

 

* * *

 

The sun was luminescent. 

_That’s not right._

Had she smoked too much?  Did she go over her dose?  The sun blinked, a halo of red tinted blonde appeared.  And like a moth to a flame, Kenzie reached up to touch.  A beaming smile and her hand was pushed down. 

“She’s waking up, put her down over here.” 

_What?_

She was moved, why did the sun disappear?  It should be stationary in her vision.  How much time had passed?  Hard wood and stretched leather met her back, her bare back.  Why was she bare? 

“Maker, she’s had multiple stab wounds, who did this to her?”

“Don’t know.  We found her, she was half in the water.”

“Shh.  It’s okay.  I’m going to help you.”

Was she whimpering? A beat.  Yes she was.  Why was she in pain?  Why did it hurt?  A bandage was peeled off her and she cried, eyes stinging with tears. 

“I need to clean the wounds before I heal them, drink this.”  A vial was pressed to her lips again and the same nectar was swallowed, only it was sweeter and quickly followed with water.  “Good.  This may hurt…” 

Scraping, scrubbing, and hot water was poured over whatever wounds she had sustained.  She didn’t scream.  Oh no.  She bit her lips until her mouth exploded in that coppery sap that filled her tainted burning veins. 

“It’s hot…” She croaked, hand reaching out to grip the sun’s hand. He held it and nodded. 

“You have a fever.  I’ll give you something for it.”

“No… no.  it’s hot inside.  Its burning I-I- need it out.”

The sun was looking at someone tersely and there were whispers exchanged.  “What’s her name?” Someone responded but she couldn’t hear, couldn’t see too well.  Where were her glasses?  “Kenzie, tell me where does it burn?”

“Blood… beneath the skin.  Everywhere… always burning, singing.  If it gets too hot I go crazy…” She was rambling and the hand that held her, was tight and strong, despite her rigid hold on it. 

“Okay.  I’m going to heal you, then I’ll check to help with the burning.” She nodded, figuring they would put her through surgery, stitches.  Kenzie remembered the gun and the blade, she also remembered the water.  Did the new guy fish her out?  She’ll have to thank him. 

“Okay…”  She muttered. 

Something warm, no it was rising in temperature.  It hovered over her, made her blood boil, hormones reacting.  Every synapse in her was going off.  Electric and lava filled her.  She didn’t know she was screaming until the hand was pulled away.  But the result left her legs quivering, it had jolted through to her center, her body convulsing inside and she was moaning.  It was torture, pure pleasurable torture. What had just happened?  She wanted it again, no needed it. 

“What did you do, _mage_?”

A rough voice and she reached a hand out, not caring she let go of the dime bag.  She wanted it again. “More…please…”  She was panting and her body still ached.  She could feel where blood was beginning to seep but it was less.  “Soo… so good.”

“I was trying to heal her, but… I’ve never had that happen before.”

“She seemed to enjoy it, maybe you should do it to women more often.” 

“Not helping, Varric.”

“Ha.”

“She’ll die of blood loss if I don’t finish.”

“Pretty sure she’ll die of exhaustion if you keep making her scream like that.”

“ISABELA!”

 “What? I wish Anders made me scream like _that_.”

There were too many voices and she wanted to be lit up like that again.  Fire touching fire, she craved it.  “ _Please_.”  She begged, searching for the sun again.  She found him.

“Hawke. Look at this.” A deep graveled voice said and he stepped away, she only knew that because a darkness had moved away.  Everything was too blurry for her to make out. 

“I’m going to do that again, but…tell me if it’s too much.”  The sun murmured to her and she nodded, or she think she did.  “My name is Anders, okay?”  She nodded but her fingers dug into his palm as she prepared for it again. 

This time it was slower, subtler but it was there again.  Fire on Fire, heat licking her insides and it was too slow but it was lasting longer.  She groaned, cheek pressed to his hand and then a sharp twist in her abdomen made her shriek in pain this time. “Oh!”  She yelped and then the fire was cool, calming, mixing with his.  Kenzie was sure it was mixing with his because she felt it, and it felt like her own liquid heat that pumped through her. 

“Oh…I’m so sorry.”  Anders apologized to her but she didn’t know why. He lowered her back against the cot and she rested.  Her stomach was sore but there was no injury anymore as far as she could tell.  “I’ll get you something for the fever.”

“No… it’s… gone now.  Thank you.”  She sighed contentedly. “Everything is so blurry.” She mused and gave a grin. A hand covered her eyes in that moment and she tried to move away but then the fire came back.  Only it wasn’t as pleasurable, it was uncomfortable and sent chills through her.  “No.  What are you doing?  STOP IT!” She’s yanking at his hand and there was shuffling feet and yelling.

“What did you do to me?!”  She glares at the man.  His features no longer blurry.  He was being pulled away by two men, one was exceptionally hairy and the other had white hair and white tattoos on his tanned skin.  She was heaving, sitting up.

“I was just healing her eyes…”

Eyes?

Kenzie blinked.  She could see, see in twenty-twenty vision, or close to it. She’d never been able to see like this, not even with glasses. “What did you do…?” She’s looking at her hands, fingers in perfect clarity.  The tracks on her arms also clear as day and she cringed.  She didn’t want to see, she yanked the long sleeve black shirt but most of it fell away, torn.  Most of her clothes were torn with just the bare essentials covered.

“Can you see now?”

“Yes…How…?”  She’d heard of lasik surgery but for it to happen instantly?  And his hand had been there. “How did you do that?  One moment I can’t see and the next…I can.” 

A beat of silence and the men she had barely noticed let go of the ginger blonde man.  He held his hand up and walked toward her, slowly.  “I healed you.”  At her confused expression he continued. “With magic.” 

At that she looked at them, fully.  Anders wore a robe with feathered shoulder bits, his eyes were honey amber and his hair was like the sun.  The two who had held him back were armored.  The black haired, hairy one held a large staff of sorts and wore armored shoulder bits as well.  His shoes were metal too.  Her eyes zeroed in on the white haired, white tattooed one.  His ears, no the _tips_ of his ears poked out and his eyes were too big to be normal.  Then her eyes swiveled to past them.  A short stocky fellow who wore a rouge shirt trimmed in gold, that parted to reveal a dusting of chest hair and he wore a gingered leather jacket and some contraption on his back.  A barely clothed tanned woman with a gold piercing below her lip and the most spectacular gold eyes she had ever seen. 

Strangely, they looked familiar to Kenzie and also like the strangers they were. 

“Where am I?” The room was large and was exposed to the elements through large windows on one side.  She felt the breeze and could hear water in the distance, yet the walls looked to be made of sandstone, or something like it.  The floors were dirt with but a few places covered in wooden slabs.

“You’re in Darktown, in my clinic.”

Kenzie shook her head.

“Kirkwall” The pointy eared one said.

“Free Marches?”  The hairy one said.

“Thedas?” The short one walked forward, a curious expression coming over him.  But that one, that one struck a chord in her.  So familiar.  She noticed his necklace and then his earrings.  _Where do I know him?_ The names they said a moment ago.  Isabela… no Varric. _Varric Teth… something._

In her teen years she’d spend summers with Mark and Ellen, locked away in her basement room.  If they weren’t having threesomes then they were smoking whatever they could get their hands on and playing video games.  Mark and Kenzie had always been more into the games than Ellen, but she always played with them.  The three swapping the one controller they had around until they finished the games.  One game came to mind but only because she recognized the hairy one from the cover.  Memories of the game came flooding to the forefront of her thought, especially of the one that came prior to it and the one that came after it, mostly because it was recent.  That’s where she remembers the short one from.  Varric… something, the dwarf…storyteller, and occasional unwelcome tag along.  Steeling herself, she frowned.

“This isn’t real.”  She finally said and turned her back to the group of people she deduced was a part of a really bad trip.  No.  She was certain this was all in her head.  She was sitting in her work room, having gotten home and got a bad trip off tainted crystal.  Yes. That’s what happened.  “None of you are real, I’m just hallucinating.”

“You’re not…”

“LALALALA nope noooo,” She covered her ears and rocked.  She focused on the sound of her breathing.  She could still hear them but it was muffled and broken between each deep breath she took to prevent herself from hyperventilating.

“-slave-magisters- control-substance-mage-magic-repressed-don’t know-beg-she’s”  She began humming and squeezed her eyes shut.

It was a long time before everything became silent around her.  She dropped her hands and turned around. They were gone but she was still here, still in this place.  Then she heard the soft pitter patter of feet and Anders was there holding a blanket.

He looked to her and frowned. “Ready to admit this isn’t a hallucination?” Kenzie didn’t like how his eyes were filled with pity.

“Where did the others go, then?”  Snarky, she didn’t care. 

“They left.  Isabela to get you clothes and the others… Well they always go out and do what they will.”  Anders said and approached her cautiously.  “Are you alright?”

“No.”  She frowned but got off the cot. “This isn’t supposed to be real.”

“I assure you this is very real- what are you doing?!”  He dropped the blanket to run to her.  Her fingers dug into her arm, drawing blood.  She gasped in pain and he pulled her hand away.  “Stop that.”  His fingers became blue and there, the fire touched hers.  Only hers was so much less rampant.   A moan escaped her, and she clamped her lips shut.  

“Why…am I not awake…” Kenzie had hoped the pain would wake her, but it hadn’t.  Tears prickled her eyes.  “I want to go home…” She sniffed and the hand that healed her arm pat her shoulder. 

“I… I don’t think that’s a good idea.”  He was moving to grab the blanket and covering her with it.  She hadn’t noticed the chill until she felt warm again.

“Why?”

He stared at her and frowned.  “Fenris says you’ve been forced into taking a substance, a hallucinogenic, that has broken your mind. He thinks your master gave it to you, to control you.”  Anders said this slowly so as not to confuse her.  “I didn’t know Tevinter magisters also took mages for slaves or… or used drugs to repress your abilities.” 

“I…I … what?”  Kenzie looked at him dumbfounded, like he had grown a head.  This was all so bizarre.

“Perhaps I shouldn’t have told you, but if you want to go home I think it might be better for you here in Kirkwall.  Although, an uncontrolled mage-mnff mrr” His eyes were wide as she slapped his hand over his mouth. 

“First off.  I have never been anyone’s slave, much less a submissive.”  Offense had been taken at his insinuation.  “And secondly, I would know if I had any special abilities.  Short of… short of being an underground revered artist, I have no special talents.” 

His eyes became blue, his skin crackling in the same glowing blue light that had healed her a moment ago.  “THE INJUSTICE YOU HAVE SUFFERED WILL NOT GO UNPUNISHED.  THE INJUSTICE OF ALL MAGES WILL NOT GO UNPUNISHED.  THERE IS NO SAFE PLACE IN THEDAS FOR MAGES. THE WORLD WILL KNOW –“

Kenzie jumped back at the thunderous voice, pushing against the wall as Anders moved forward and looked to her. She plopped her hands over her ears and watched as he continued to rant and rave about injustice and how they would pay.  His arms flailing for emphasis. All the while Kenzie watched him, a puddle of piss showed up underneath her and her frame shook. 

Aside from the initial scare the man wasn’t threatening her, it was just terrifying that first moment. Still, she kept far away from the glowing man.  Knowing her luck, he was radioactive.  At that thought she realized she was fucked anyway.

She watched as Anders turned toward the door and then those glowing blue eyes came back to look at her. Kenzie dared not look away, in case he did decide violence was the better option. But as his glowing blue eyes pierced right through her, she saw the light fade and then he collapsed against his staff, hand hovering over his eyes.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.”  She read the words on his lips and he took a step to her but she jolted further against the wall, frightened.  He stopped and a look of shame came over him and he turned his back. 

Kenzie jumped when she felt soft feminine yet calloused hands on her and she looked to see the tan woman.  Isabela, if she recalled from the game correctly.  She was saying something, but Kenzie was so drawn to her eyes she didn’t really notice.  “What?”

“That’s justice, he… usually doesn’t mean any harm.  I’ve brought clothes, though I think the chest area might be a bit loose.”  She attempted a smile and then looked down at Kenzie’s body and noticed the mess she made.  “Oh, let’s get you cleaned up.”

Kenzie nodded at the Rivaini woman and got off the cot, her legs nearly giving out, yet the duelist caught her. “Oh, don’t worry kitten I’m used to pretty young things falling all over me.”  That brought a snicker to Kenzie and she slapped a hand to her mouth in shock.  “Ah… there, feeling better?”

“A bit. I… I can do this by myself.”  She’d been ushered into a water closet of sorts and there was a bucket and a pump.

“Oh, I think I should help you, kitten.  Wouldn’t want you to fall over.”  Isabela purred, but Kenzie smirked and closed the door, while leaning against the frame.  She did her business and then opened the door to see the pirate holding out a shirt, and nothing else. 

“Where’s the rest?” Kenzie asked softly, eyeing the grey shirt that looked like it would barely cover to mid-thigh, and that’s if she stretched it.

“What rest?” Isabela smiled and Kenzie just grabbed it and yanked her tattered clothes off, and panties.  She didn’t need a bra, but it would help keep her girls in place, even if it was stained with blood and who knows what else.  At least it was dry. The shirt was very loose in the chest area but it reached just past mid-thigh, thankfully.  The sleeves left her arms bare and while she was uncomfortable with the tracks showing, she doubted anyone here would know what they were from, plus the tattoos covered them up plenty.

Exiting, her feet were bare and she saw Isabela speaking to Anders.  Not wishing to intrude, she turned toward the doors, they were two large openings with wooden swinging doors. Shuffling out that way, she peered into what Anders had called Darktown.  It wasn’t all that dark but then again, it was morning, or was it early afternoon?  

She stepped out of the clinic.  If this is a hallucination then she might as well explore and enjoy it.  The windows were large and she stepped up to the closest one.  She couldn’t see the ocean but she could see more buildings and a staircase that led up.  Dock like stilts kept the buildings up and she briefly wondered how that was even possible. 

As she stepped further away from the clinic, she heard people talking, no more like shouting.  She turned the corner and came face to face with a man yelling at a much shorter one, a dwarf.  In his hand was a vial of a shiny blue liquid, barely concealed. 

“If you don’t like the price, Samson, then go find another supplier.”

“No...no.  I’ll take it.”

 _Samson_?  A memory, a flash of a man in red lyrium armor, red eyes and a worn out expression knelt before the throne of the Inquisitor.  Kenzie gasped.  This was the very same Samson.  The two looked to her, spotting her just after the coin and goods were exchanged. She froze as the dwarf growled and pulled a knife out.  Samson ran off at that.

“Now now, ganging up on a girl.  That’s not nice.”  Isabela said, stepping up to her.  Kenzie felt Anders on her other side but he pushed ahead of her.  The dwarf saw sense and backed away. 

“Don’t run off like that.  This is Darktown, even during the day it’s dangerous.” Anders chastised her and she crossed her arms, slipping out of his grasp and stepping as close to Isabela as possible.

“Oooh, kitten, you like me better than Anders.” The pirate’s purring tone made her sound extremely pleased at her decision.  Truthfully, she was just trying to keep from feeling Ander’s fire.  Every time he was near it was like he radiated it off him.  Perhaps because he was possessed? 

“What now?”  She mumbled, kicking her bare feet against the dirt floor.

“Well. Hawke you dressed and at the Hanged Man tonight so you can explain how you ended up stabbed and nearly dead on the coast.”  Anders looked at her, concern still leaking off him.  “We gathered you were drugged-“

She glared at him.  “Was not.”

A heated silence filled the space and Isabela rose an eyebrow.  “How about we save that for later.  In the meantime I think I’ll take her to meet Merrill and then bring her around for drinks.”  The captain hooked her arm with Kenzie’s and began dragging her off.  “See you later, Anders.”

“What about shoes?” Kenzie stumbled over her own feet as they walked. 

“Oh, almost forgot.  We found these by you.  They don’t look very secure for shoes.”  From her belt she pulled her flip flops out.  They were black.   Sighing, she slipped them on and the two continued and Kenzie promptly lost the way around.  She distinctly remembered the game being incredibly repetitive.  This was why.  Each alley or corridor in the maze like city was exactly like the others.  The only things distinguishable were the level you were on, the people present, the shops, and some of the goods lying about. 

The walked up more stairs, her flip flops were loud with each step.  She just knew they would break before the week was out. 

 _Week?_   _I might wake up any moment now._

The two rounded a corner and then walked down a small flight of stairs into a clearing.  At the center was a large tree painted on it.  By large, she meant massive.  Its branches grew past most of the buildings and gave the clearing enough cover to make the hot summer day cool, especially with that ocean breeze that wormed its way through the buildings. 

The clearing had many people moving around.  Children were playing and planting some flowers by the tree or painting the roots that threatened to crack the sandstone floor.  It seemed most of the structures were made with sandstone, sandstone bricks, limestone, limestone bricks, or wood.

“This way.” Isabela went to one of the buildings and opened the door.  “Kitten, what did Varric say about locking your door?” Kenzie paused at the door but walked in. 

“Oh, yes, he did say to lock it but I always lose my key, so then I just break the lock and come in but I always forget to get a new lock.”  Kenzie watched a short dark haired woman come up to them, her face tattoos were intricate and beautiful.  They accentuated her too large eyes and pert nose. The clothes she wore made her slender form appear even more so.

And there was a licking cool energy that came right off her.  It was pleasant and soothed the slow burning fire in her.  It drew her in.  Kenzie stepped closer to her, eyes focusing on the elf woman.

“Oh hello, I didn’t know-OH!“ She was cut off by Kenzie’s lips pressing to hers.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr <http://comavampure.tumblr.com/>!


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